I am always happier with a camera in my hands. I forget that regularly and need to be reminded. Love these shots, particularly the Halal cart, the subway shot and Daddy Warbucks crossing the street. Also a New Yorker, I agree 100%, so much to see if we just slow down for the details.
So cool! Thanks for appreciating it! It means the world to me! I love taking pictures of the Halal carts, the guys are always so welcoming, especially in NY!
I like printing (on a humble little digital printer, no fancy darkroom stuff for me yet) it and adding the print to my bag, so I gift it to them with a note saying “Thanks for being so nice to photographers”! It’s like a mutual friendship.
I only did that twice, but it’s so nice to see their reactions! I feel they are mostly ignored by the toughness of the city , these acts show they are also sensible, fragile, and lovely buddies.
One day I’ll release an album only with the carts and food trucks!
Hi Raf, I loved this article. Thanks for bringing NYC into my UK home office. I appreciate how much time and effort it must take to make (find, take and develop) the single frames. I'd encourage everyone to take in the artistry and the storytelling by Raf. Thanks!
You're very welcome, Raf. I keep a look out for artists, creators who can bring the outside and nature to me through the screen. Having been through 18 relocations and now UK based caregiver, I miss seeing the cities and nature. You brought NYC back to me. Thanks!
I absolutely loved the photos and the text! The way you transform everyday moments into art is incredible. Each image carries a sense of wonder, as if revealing something we often overlook. I’ve been trying to venture into photography myself—clearly still a beginner—but I deeply relate to that feeling of seeing the world with fresh eyes and finding beauty in unexpected places. Your work is truly inspiring!
It was really nice to read about your experiences in regards to this topic, after having just written about it myself. And how different those small moments are where you live, compared to the nature and small town of my home in northern Sweden!
The thought that life is lived forward, but understood backwards, is so interesting and something I need to mull over a bit. I've never thought about it that way but it is certainly true.
Thanks for enjoying it! Substack writing and film developing has been very interesting to me! I feel I want to write complete stories about rolls of film I shoot! Each roll carries a storry, it’s very easy to build storytelling talking about my day! Right now I am about to publish something on how a daily road trip became a photographic adventure with a flat tire in a snowstorm, LOL!
That is so wonderful! I really like the idea of a story behind a roll of film, and I can't wait to read the next one ☺️
I'm so astonished that you can shoot a roll on in a day 😱 life here in this small town is slow and I feel like I could spend weeks on a roll. And here I am considering getting the Pentax 17 which has twice the amount of frames / roll 😅
But I agree that writing here in conjunction with photography has been lovely.
Thanks! I just need to record the voice over, the text and photos are ready to publish!
And regarding the whole film in a scene, that's actually a bad habit I have from the digital world. I am trying to work on that. I added a little sticker on top of my camera shutter, so every time I touch it I remember to be more thoughful per each shot, as they cost something, and since I am doing the dev&scan, it costs me lots of time!
Writing here in conjunction with photography is like therapy to me! And realizing that people here don't eat the "Zuckerberg Meta Ration" makes me happy, like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I live to see people paying attention on things, reflecting, internalizing...
Ah yeah, with digital it is certainly easy to shoot too much. I have noticed what kind of images I never do anything with though, and so I don’t even bother taking them anymore. Which is nice :) But one is definitely way more mindful with film. Smart with the sticker! And yeah when you do the developing yourself, that would be time consuming. Luckily we have a small photo store in town that I can keep supporting so they stay in business. I think it might cost more than it should, but I am okay with it.
I do find it therapeutic as well, I must say. And I also love the vibe here and how different it is from all other social media. I am so glad I found my way here!
Hi Rania, Hi Raf - I just found Raf's publication and I love this article and storytelling approach, and I'm intrigued by this comment exchange. I'm now wondering what a collaboration between the two of you would look like NYC and small town in Sweden... just a thought.
Thank you so much Victoria! And yeah! I never thought about a collab! How about you send me your film rolls and I develop and scan it for you, Rania? Haha, and vice versa! That could be fun! You see city pictures there for the first time and I see aurora boreal on film here for the first time! 😀
Title: Overseas film development
Subtitle: and the story of two Substack friends who exchanged undeveloped film rolls overseas
I am always happier with a camera in my hands. I forget that regularly and need to be reminded. Love these shots, particularly the Halal cart, the subway shot and Daddy Warbucks crossing the street. Also a New Yorker, I agree 100%, so much to see if we just slow down for the details.
So cool! Thanks for appreciating it! It means the world to me! I love taking pictures of the Halal carts, the guys are always so welcoming, especially in NY!
I like printing (on a humble little digital printer, no fancy darkroom stuff for me yet) it and adding the print to my bag, so I gift it to them with a note saying “Thanks for being so nice to photographers”! It’s like a mutual friendship.
I only did that twice, but it’s so nice to see their reactions! I feel they are mostly ignored by the toughness of the city , these acts show they are also sensible, fragile, and lovely buddies.
One day I’ll release an album only with the carts and food trucks!
Lovely thought. My one day is a photo book of mom’s dementia journey. Some of the photos I’ve gotten are haunting.
Hi Raf, I loved this article. Thanks for bringing NYC into my UK home office. I appreciate how much time and effort it must take to make (find, take and develop) the single frames. I'd encourage everyone to take in the artistry and the storytelling by Raf. Thanks!
Thanks 🙏
You comment, notes and reshare made my day! 🤩
You're very welcome, Raf. I keep a look out for artists, creators who can bring the outside and nature to me through the screen. Having been through 18 relocations and now UK based caregiver, I miss seeing the cities and nature. You brought NYC back to me. Thanks!
Wow! 18! I’m on my 2nd 😂
Have a great weekend!
I absolutely loved the photos and the text! The way you transform everyday moments into art is incredible. Each image carries a sense of wonder, as if revealing something we often overlook. I’ve been trying to venture into photography myself—clearly still a beginner—but I deeply relate to that feeling of seeing the world with fresh eyes and finding beauty in unexpected places. Your work is truly inspiring!
Love these Raf, hope you're doing well!
Hey my friend! I think I found myself in film photography! :)
It was really nice to read about your experiences in regards to this topic, after having just written about it myself. And how different those small moments are where you live, compared to the nature and small town of my home in northern Sweden!
The thought that life is lived forward, but understood backwards, is so interesting and something I need to mull over a bit. I've never thought about it that way but it is certainly true.
thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for enjoying it! Substack writing and film developing has been very interesting to me! I feel I want to write complete stories about rolls of film I shoot! Each roll carries a storry, it’s very easy to build storytelling talking about my day! Right now I am about to publish something on how a daily road trip became a photographic adventure with a flat tire in a snowstorm, LOL!
That is so wonderful! I really like the idea of a story behind a roll of film, and I can't wait to read the next one ☺️
I'm so astonished that you can shoot a roll on in a day 😱 life here in this small town is slow and I feel like I could spend weeks on a roll. And here I am considering getting the Pentax 17 which has twice the amount of frames / roll 😅
But I agree that writing here in conjunction with photography has been lovely.
Thanks! I just need to record the voice over, the text and photos are ready to publish!
And regarding the whole film in a scene, that's actually a bad habit I have from the digital world. I am trying to work on that. I added a little sticker on top of my camera shutter, so every time I touch it I remember to be more thoughful per each shot, as they cost something, and since I am doing the dev&scan, it costs me lots of time!
Writing here in conjunction with photography is like therapy to me! And realizing that people here don't eat the "Zuckerberg Meta Ration" makes me happy, like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I live to see people paying attention on things, reflecting, internalizing...
Oh voice over as well? So fancy!
Ah yeah, with digital it is certainly easy to shoot too much. I have noticed what kind of images I never do anything with though, and so I don’t even bother taking them anymore. Which is nice :) But one is definitely way more mindful with film. Smart with the sticker! And yeah when you do the developing yourself, that would be time consuming. Luckily we have a small photo store in town that I can keep supporting so they stay in business. I think it might cost more than it should, but I am okay with it.
I do find it therapeutic as well, I must say. And I also love the vibe here and how different it is from all other social media. I am so glad I found my way here!
Hi Rania, Hi Raf - I just found Raf's publication and I love this article and storytelling approach, and I'm intrigued by this comment exchange. I'm now wondering what a collaboration between the two of you would look like NYC and small town in Sweden... just a thought.
Thank you so much Victoria! And yeah! I never thought about a collab! How about you send me your film rolls and I develop and scan it for you, Rania? Haha, and vice versa! That could be fun! You see city pictures there for the first time and I see aurora boreal on film here for the first time! 😀
Title: Overseas film development
Subtitle: and the story of two Substack friends who exchanged undeveloped film rolls overseas
It's an amazing approach to describe photography as a lifestyle and a moment of reflection on the world around us.